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Kestrel

A familiar sight with its pointed wings and long tail, hovering beside a roadside verge. Numbers of kestrels declined in the 1970s, probably as a result of changes in farming and so it is included on the Amber List. They have adapted readily to man-made environments and can survive right in the centre of cities.

Of the UK's birds of prey, this is the most intensively persecuted. Once predating free-range fowl, earning its present name, its effect on the number of grouse available to shoot is the cause of modern conflict and threatens its survival in some parts...

The peregrine falcon is known for its hunting speed, which after gaining height can reach up to 200 mph. This falcon hunts smaller birds by ‘punching’ the birds during a dive with its tightly clenched talons. It is also a swift and agile bird, adep...